11/03/08
Louisiana Weekly
Recently, the Louisiana Children’s Defense Fund hosted a “From Cradle to Prison Pipeline Summit” where Marian Wright Edelman, the Defense Fund’s founder, served as keynote speaker. The event took place on the campus of Dillard University of New Orleans.
The summit consisted of panelists who ranged from Orleans Parish students to internationally known child experts/advocates. Registrants traveled from all over Louisiana and other southern states to involve themselves with the “Cradle to Prison Pipeline” campaign.
During a panel discussion on juvenile crime, retired state judge, Calvin Johnson argued that there is no correlation between the growing number of incarcerations and lowered crime. He went on to argue that imprisonment should be left for serious criminals and not those who need healthcare.
Young children spoke out about their concerns, mainly profiling and education. One young man asked, “If I wear dreads, are they going to get me?” State Rep. Cedric Richmond (D -101) said that he would continue to fight in the House to ban assault weapons. Other community leaders urged adults to become more involved in the lives of children and offered suggestions on how to dismantle the pipeline.
The campaign is a national call to action to detour the path that sends many children, most of whom are minorities, to lives filled with crime, arrests, incarcerations and death. Race and poverty are the most common factors among most children associated with the pipeline. Many children are pulled into the pipeline before they ever have a fair chance of becoming successful, healthy, happy, law-abiding adults.
During her address, Edelman charged the audience to invest and take ownership in the responsibility in America’s children. “Nobody raises a child alone...we need to reweave the fabric of family.” She went on to say that children, in particular young males of color need society’s help the most. “What’s happening to our children is a national tragedy, what’s happening to our Black and Hispanic children is a catastrophe.”
She added that we must become educated voters and demand that our delegation’s votes reflect our needs and concerns. Edelman pointed out that Louisiana congressional leaders, are not the most supportive when it comes to the needs of the country’s children, pointing out that Sen. David Vitter overwhelmingly does not vote in best interest of children.
“How is it that they could not find $70 billion to insure all of America’s children last year, but they so quickly found $700 billion to bail out Wall Street?”
Other notable speakers included: ; Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff, Marlin Gusman; State Representative J.P. Morrell; Derwin Buton, Director of Juvenile Regional Services; Opelousas mayor Don Cravins, Dr. Natacha Blain, Director of Children’s Defense Fund National, “American’s Cradle to Prison Pipeline” Initiative; Sedrick A. Muhammad, Founder/ President of Models for Success, LLC; Rev. Torin Sanders, Orleans Parish School Board President; Dana Kaplan - Executive Director, Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana; Dellona Davis - Executive Director, CASA; Cindy Bishop - President, LA Child Care Association; Rep. Joe Salter - Community Affairs Representatives Louisiana Department of Education; Todd Battiste, Vice President, Community Impact Division, United Way GNO; Darryl Kilbert - Superintendent, Orleans Parish School Board and other child advocates, community leaders, parents, social workers, faith leaders and elected officials.
